Hello,
Following our trip on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route this summer, we’re sharing our experience in this travel journal.
We’re Richard and Bernadette, both 64 years old, and we’re gravel bike-packing cyclists.
We’ve completed several gravel bike trips in France and neighboring countries, and Richard has also done some in South America.
We left on July 22, 2026, from Geneva to Calgary via Frankfurt with our bikes carefully packed in boxes, and we returned on October 8 from El Paso to Geneva via Chicago and Frankfurt.
The GDMBR is a mountain route that closely follows the Pacific/Atlantic continental divide, starting in Banff, Canada, and ending at the Mexican border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. This crossing of the American West is one of the longest mountain biking routes in the world, winding through wild valleys, mountain ranges, and desert plateaus. It stretches about 4,400 km with a total elevation gain of around 60,000 m. The average altitude is 2,000 m, and the highest point reaches 3,600 m. The route is 80% off-pavement (gravel roads, dirt, and a few trail segments). It’s also known for the annual Tour Divide race, which brings together the best riders in the discipline every June and follows roughly the same route.
We prepared for this trip over several months, using a few websites and an older guidebook (the 2013 English edition).
With this, we were able to organize our journey with as much information as possible, a GPS track, and gear suited to the weather conditions, terrain, and sparse resupply points in remote areas.
Once we arrived in Banff, we picked up bear spray to handle a particular challenge: the wildlife we weren’t familiar with.
After landing in Calgary, we assembled and equipped our bikes at the airport. That first evening, we were welcomed by Mike, who invited us to his place when we were looking for a spot to pitch our tent. Then we made our way to Banff over two days, taking a fairly quiet road to Canmore and then a bike path.
A visit to Banff, a charming tourist town in the national park. Its famous Fairmont Hotel.
The starting point of the GDMBR at the arch of this hotel complex.
Here we are, immersed in the wilderness—just a few pedal strokes away from the town, the contrast is striking. Powerful rivers, vast landscapes, and our first encounter with a mule deer.
Spray Lake, our first basic campsite: no showers, dry toilets, no water fountain—we filter lake water. Most GDMBR campsites are like this.
We took the west side of the lake—a longer and wilder route. A few fallen trees blocked the path, forcing us to carry our bikes. But the stunning landscapes made it all worth it!
Our first single track through a forest marked by past wildfires.
Most campgrounds have tables and metal fire rings for safe campfires, which makes setting up camp much easier—especially nice after a long, tiring day!
During this trip, we mostly slept in our tent, either in established campgrounds or wild bivouacs.
To be continued...
